The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-05-20
SELECT STORY.
A sTREETMANs TALE.

sou dressed up in strange fantastic
manner, and going about the streets
distributing circulars, selling patent
medicines, or advertising some house
or business by show cards, is called a
"street fakir."
| When Teddy Banker came home in
the disguise of frog, his little girl,
(Baby Bobinet, as she was called,) was
rather in doubt at first; but after the
father had explained matters, the odd
dress became a source of perpetual de
light TO her heart.
1t was Teddys first employment
since rheumatism had taken him pris-
oner and obliged him to resign the
head watchman's place of the Fidelity
Bank"
The humiliation was a grievous one
and Teddy was about 10 decline wear.
ing the ugly suit, when Baby Bobinet's
lnfantile face came before him, and for
her sake he concluded to parade the
busy thoroughfares in that disguise.
Teddys new employer was desirous
of introducing to the attention of the
public new brand of shaving soap, or
toothpicks, q cant now say which,
to which he had given the irrelevant
title of "Jim-jams.' In the equally
irrelevant dress of frog he meant to
attract the eyes of the buying world
Closely-fitting breeches, of green
stuff, came to his knees-continuing
from thence downward in vivid yellow
-and concluding in broad shoes paint
ed to represent the splay-footed ex-
panse OF frogs extremity; coat,
with long and narrow tails, also of
green, fitted closely about his body,
and was literally splotched with black,
the breast being Of deep yellow; while
mask, with huge, google eyes, COM
pleted the outfit.
Of course the "street arabs could
not resist an instinct, natural to every
boy, TO pelt Teddy with orange and
banana skins, and objects of a more
solid character-it being, apparently,
the incontestable right of every urchin
to stone bull frogs, from Esop's day
down to the present
Baby Bobinet could not know this
and her papa's costume was source
of unmitigated pride, in which her de-
light never lessened. Baby Bobinet
was the priceless treasure which Teddy
Bankers wife had bequeathed to him
some five years before, and the legatee
cherished the little sunbeam with a de-
votion to which all other objects were
small indeed.
Teddy Banker occupied two rooms,
with an honest, Irish widow, Mrs.
OGlinty, and Baby Bobinet remained
in her charge during the tireless wan
derings OF the "street fakir."
After her father, no one fostered
greater love and pride in the little lass
than Mrs. Catharine O'Glinty. 1t
would have been, however, a hard
heart that could not have resisted the
claims of Baby Bobinet, to a reigning
place among the first ladies of the
royal heart. chamber.
Teddy's modification had lost much
of its wire-edge at the time of which |
write, although Baby Bobinet had not
ceased to enjoy the costume in an
eminent degree.
1t was somewhere about dusk one
day, and the coal-oil lamp was illumin-
ating the front room, with its window
looking out upon the rather out-of the
way street. Baby Bobinet was seated
on the floor in the centre of the room,
surrounded by her collection of marbles,
blocks, and miscellaneous toys.
Mrs. OGlinty came in from the
kitchen, with platter in her hand and
an apron thrown over head-going, as
she said, "to the corner beyant for
rasher for daddy's bite of supper"
She had been absent but a moment.
when Baby Bobinet was attracted by
the closing of the street door which |
opened directly upon the street. She
looked up and saw slender young
man pass hastily through the room.
She was attracted by the fur collar he
wore about his throat, and the haunt
ed expression of his colorless face. As
he passed rapidly across the room, he
drew handkerchief from his pocket
and wiped the moisture frem his fore
head. Baby Bobinet stared in placid |
way at the intruder's exit, and then
went across the room to pick up one of |
the glass marbles which had evidently |
come in contact with the briskly NOV
ing toe of the stranger.
The marble had an especial attrac-
tion for the little maid; and when Mrs.
OGlinty came in from the grocer's.
she held it up admiringly, that the
dame might observe it,
"Troth, an yer an angel gossoon-
but l can't be afther playin' with ye
now. Daddyll be wantin' his bite, III
warrant ye; for it's sharp the weather
is outside, my darlint!" and then she
hustled out of the room, with the clos
ing admonition: Snow be afther
gittin' yer gewgaws in the box
Daddy'll be here in pigs whistle"
Baby Bobinet made haste to put up
her treasures, the better to devote her
whole attention to the wondrous
"street rig which only her papa might
wear.
Another incident happened to divert
the damsel's attentions; and that was a
second strange face, whose bearded
outlines she saw peering in at the win
dow. But it was quickly gone also,
and Baby Bobinet gave her whole
mind to gathering together her valu-
ables.
The next evening there was an
event of a much more startling nature,
The like of which was quite beyond
her comprehension.
Papa had just come in from the
street, and put aside the mask, in order
% obtain his daughters kiss in all its
purity, when the door was thrown
open, and two men laid hands
ipon the indignant Teddy. Why they
should take him away, or tumutuously
oss over and examine the boxes, draw
,rs, and bedclothes throughout the
house, Baby Bobinet could never un-
ierstand; but they did so.
Even the usually sage Mrs O'Glinty !
lad no explanations to offer which
'onld satisfy Bobinet's perturbed MUD.
That worthy matron's mind oscilliat-
ID from a fearful mood to spirited de-
lunciations of "perlicemen" and the
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